This past year offers us many lessons. It’s been a time filled with stress and ambiguity. And yet, it’s up to us how we value the unplanned changes many of us were forced to experience.

I challenge you to extract as much value as you can from trying times. Each of us can change our mindset and perspective from one of anxiety to one of hope supported by action.

In my experience, the ones who are the most resilient are self-directed and determined. They are people who, even in the face of the direst of circumstances, express gratitude and show a dogged determination to keep moving and learning. We all know someone like this, but how do they do it? How do they stay positive and committed during times of unplanned change?

This demonstrated resilience develops from being thrust into high pressure situations where you are challenged in new ways. The decisions you make and actions you take may not always be right, but they help you learn and grow. You then, take the lessons learned and store them away until they are needed, then you pull this experience out to help you navigate through other challenges. You develop a willingness to change because you are more prepared to handle it. In life, that is the one constant we can rely upon—life constantly changes.

I’m sharing four aspects to help you cultivate demonstrated resilience and a willingness to change.

1. Recognize your strengths. Most of us know what we’re good at, and just how good we are. Many fail to acknowledge their strengths until they feel that they need to, perhaps during a job search or other unplanned change. Recognizing your strengths is important even when you’re not in a high-pressure situation. Tapping into your strengths enables you to contribute at high levels and live your best life.
2. Compensate for your weaknesses. We know early on what we’re challenged by. Many attempt to offset weaknesses through delegation or personal or professional development. For example, if you know you could be more resilient, you could reflect upon each experience that you view as a setback and identify lessons that you can apply in the future. 
3. Accept situations as they are, not as you prefer them to be. Let’s face it, sometimes it’s easier to deny a situation is reality rather than deal with it. This approach does nothing other than delay the inevitable. Life can be quite challenging. You’re better off if you just accept the situation and start to develop solutions to the problems you are facing.
4. Approach challenges in terms of the present, and not let them be overshadowed by the past. Each of us have had to deal with obstacles during this past year. While applying lessons learned from one situation to another can be helpful, it can also be limiting. Be careful not to let an attitude of “this is how I’ve always done it” prevent you from developing new ways of dealing with challenges. Former habits may not always be the best approach for handling new problems. The present may offer you new resources or sources of support that can help you find relief sooner or achieve your goals quicker.  

I have found that the more resilient I am and the more open I am to change, the easier life is and the happier I am. The same can happen for you. It’s important that you develop a willingness to change because that’s one thing we can count on, life is constantly changing.